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TRAVEL GUIDE: ATHENS, GREECE

We spent 2
days in athens and our goal was to visit all the famous sights of this
wonderful city. We were anxious that 2 days wouldn’t be enough time, however
the majority of the sights are located within a stone’s throw of each other. We
want to give you an insight into what to see and what you can expect from this
ancient city.

We began
our sightseeing at the Monastiraki Square which is located in the center of the
city. From here we walked up hill towards the Acropolis which boldly stands
over the city. The walk from the square to the Acropolis took us around 20
minutes. Along the route you will be met by breath-taking scenery before you
eventually reach the ticket office on the edge of the Acropolis grounds.

The ticket
to enter the Acropolis costs 12€ for adults and allows you to visit 5 of the
city’s major tourist attractions. We found the ticket to be extremely good
value as the sights are all worth seeing and well preserved. However, if you
are lucky enough to be in the city on the weekend, all tourist attractions are
free-of-charge.

As we finally
entered the grounds of the Acropolis and climbed the steps to the first level,
we could see the Herodeon which is located down a steep hill below the
Acropolis. As you ascend and walk underneath the Propylaea, the Erechtheion is
located to your left and the Parthenon to the front. The sheer size of the
Parthenon is breath-taking, and it immediately grabs your attention. It is
almost incomprehensible how they were able to build such a giant and detailed
structure. The Erechtheion, although smaller, is equally as breath-taking as
the Parthenon with its subtle details and complex statues joint to the rear
side. As you continue to walk through the grounds you reach a platform which is
overlooking the south east side of the Acropolis. Here you can see the
Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus and the Theatre of Dionysus, as well as the roof of
the Acropolis Museum. As the Acropolis is high above the city, from here you
can see Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the distance,
although not that far away.

After we
had enjoyed the various areas and beautiful views from atop of the Acropolis
hill, we walked back through the ground and exited the Acropolis on the north
east side descending the Areopagus Hill, eventually reaching the grounds of the
Ancient Agora. We visited the Stoa of Attalos which is an ancient walkway that
has been fully restored to its past glory. The Stoa is a strong and powerful
work of architecture with columns running the entire way of the building. The
floor is tiled with marble and the roof is supported by massive wooden beams.

With the
breath taking sights of ancient Athens fresh in our minds, we decided to go for
dinner just outside of the Stoa of Attalos and reminisce about our fantastic
adventure which had taken us on a journey through time.